Tymber Creek Should Still Boil Water

ORMOND BEACH — Tymber Creek subdivision residents who want to drink water from faucets should keep boiling it until tests show a bacterial contamination has gone away, health officials said Wednesday.

The state health department told residents of about 340 homes Tuesday to boil tap water because of high bacterial levels, said Lee Faircloth, an environmental engineer with the department's Volusia County office.

The bacteria count was so high, in fact, that officials could not determine what sorts of bacteria are plaguing the housing tract's water system. ''The culture plates were overgrown,'' making it impossible to identify the type of bacteria under a microscope, Faircloth said.

Tymber Creek gets its water from two deep wells. Faircloth said the contamination was not from the wells but from the mains, which can develop a slimy growth when not properly chlorinated or flushed.

He said subdivision employees flushed the system and chlorinated it late Tuesday, but that one of two samples studied Wednesday remained unsatisfactory for drinking. He said samples taken Wednesday and today both would have to come out clean before he would approve the water for drinking, possibly Friday.

The warning to boil water is a precautionary measure, he said, adding that people who drink unboiled water contaminated by bacteria can develop stomach cramps, nausea and other flulike symptoms.

Residents can use the water for laundry, showers and dishwashing without worrying, Faircloth said. ''Only if it's consumed is it bad.''